The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-02-03
SHIFTING THE IRON CENTRE.
Birmingham Claims that Pittsburg's day
Is Past.

Birmingham Claims that Pittsburg's day
Is Past.
The Atlanta Constitution prints an
elaborate statement concerning the
growth of Birmingham, Ala, intended
to show the marvellous increase of the
iron business there, aud the probable re.
moval from Pittsburg to that city Of the
iron interests of the country. The fol.
lowing are the chief points made: The
American public is now witnessing, and
the industrial public closely watching,
one of the most remarkable revolutions
ever effected in time of peace. 1t is the
practical transfer Of the most important
mechanical industry from one section OF
this country 10 the other-the deporta-
ton of iron making from Pennsylvania
to the South. We have aeen the grain
growing centre of the country shifted to
the West; we have seen the pork pack.
ing industry fit from Cincinnati to
Chicago and Kansas City; we have seen
Southern cotton mills undersellipg New
England and American markets and
challenging China and South America.
1t is now claimed that the iron furnaces
of Pennsylvania will be torn down and
hurried to Alabama. It is certain, how
ever, that Birmingham can to day make
the price for iron on the American con.
tinent; that Pennsylvania supremacy
is gone forever; that iron making will
decrease in that State and will increase
with amazing swiftness in Alabama and
Tennessee. In his remarkable book,
which is printed, "Tha South" Colonel
Mcclure of the Philadelphia Times ad-
mits this, and gives Pennsylvania warn
ing.
Iron can be made cheaper in Birming
ham than in Pennsylvania by at least
IS ton. The same grade Of iron that
costs s14 a ton in the Pennsylvania fur.
naces can be made at 50 q ton at the
Birmingham furnaces. The iron ma.
kers of Birmingham are now refusing to
tell how cheaply iron can be made.
They have ceased to regard Pennsylvania
as rival and look with apprehension
to England with the tariff on iron re.
moved. During the late depression,
when the Reading Railroad was bank
supted by the utter prostration of iron
and coal industries in Pennsylvania, and
Pennsylvania furnaces were driven out
of blast. every Alabama furnace worked
day and night at profit, aud the
capacity Of the State IVES increased from
$4,000 to 100000 tons, and her coal
product from 10000 tons to 100000
tons.
"You are viewing" said Mr.. Joseph
F. Johnston, President Of the State Goal
and Iron Company, "a sight that can be
seen nowhere else on earth" We. we're
standing on the mountain of the Sloss
Iron Company, which is scanned through
and through with exhaustless veins of
red hematite ore. The valley below US
was limestone. The mountain across
contained the Pratt mines, which give
exbaustless quantities of the best coal.
"This advantage of juxtaposition," said
Mr.. j. w. Johnston, "is second to
another advantage not generally dis
cussed. 1t is the single ownership of the
three elements that make iron. Suppose
there is a rise of 50 ton in iron. At
the North the iron maker gets small
benefit from it. The iron ore around
Lake Michigan or elsewhere imme diately
advances, the price of limestone goes up,
and the profit is divided between three
owners. In the South every dollar of
the profit goes into.one pocket. The ore,
the limestone and the coal are owned by
one company, mined at first cost, and
each contributes to the general profits.
Another advantage is the reliability Of
our labor" Mr. Sloss says that the negro
labor is as good as any, less liable to
strikes, end more efficient. A disadvan-
tage under which Birmingham muet
labor is transportation. The Pennsylva-
min markets have largely home market,
which saves them freight, although
Alabama has steadily undersold
Pennsylvania in Boston and New York.
The Alabama furnaces will find the
freight problem lessened by increasing
home markets. Birmingham now
makes $50 tons of iron day, one.third
of which amount is consumed within the
limits of Birmingham. ard new factories,
foundries and bridge works are projected
daily. A rolling mill for sheet iron uses
100 tons of ore day. Already two
immense stove works have been moved
from New York to Tennessee and
Alabama. These are the forerunners or
others. The surrounding towns offer
increasing markets for Alabama iron.
Atlanta doubled her industries in the
past five years. Chattanooga is growing
with great rapidity and the home market
will be apt to take even third of the
increased output of the Alabama furna-
ces. Five lines of railroad, connecting
Birmingham with Kansas City, with the
headwaters of the Tennesse, with the
Mississippi, with the Gulf and with the
ocean by direct routes, ere now being
pushed ahead as fast as men and money
can go. The opening Of the river to
Mobile will give water ways almost from
the furnace doors and the establishment
of city and wharves at Sheffield, Ala,
will leave Birmingham less than three
hours travel by rail from St. Louis.
1t would take freight train day to
haul the money into Birmingham sent
evarv twenty.four hours for investment